Black Knight
'Black Knights' Black knights generally follow no specific leader or code of conduct, though some may be in service to an older knight who tries to carry on the legacy and the training. Black knights are so named in part because of the black paint used to protect their armor from rusting, but also because of the abilities they display, drawing forth energy from the negative plane to shield themselves and punish their foes. Long ago, black knights were viewed as honorable protectors of the weak, but such stories are now mere fairy tales. Campaign Specific: When the Order of the Dark fell apart, many who were pledged to the order became ronin and traveling warriors. Many turned to mercenary work or hung up their swords to find a new path. Without guidance, the knights spread out across the land and found places to settle down. In some lands, black knights fought against one another over the right to protect an area. In others, villagers banded together to chase them out. A few civilizations simply came to accept the knights as a necessary evil, housing them and relying on them to fend off invaders. Those knights who were not paid for their services burned down farms and stole what they needed. As such, many are wary of the knights and their motives. The Black Knight Quick Build You can make a black knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score, followed by Constitution, or Intelligence if you plan to follow the Witch path. Second, choose the variant Noble: Knight background. 'Class Features' As a black knight, you gain the following class features. Hit Points: Hit Dice: 1d10 per black knight level Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per black knight level after 1st Proficiencies: Armor: All armor, shields Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution Skills: Choose two from Athletics, History, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Religion, Stealth, and Survival Equipment: You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background. * (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons * (a) five javelins or (b) two handaxes * (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack * Chain mail Black Aura You've learned how to control the innate dark energy inside your body, and can manifest it to protect your body and mind. On your turn, you can call forth your black aura as a bonus action. While surrounded by your black aura you gain the following benefits: *You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + half your black knight level, rounded down (minimum of 1 hit point). These temporary hit points refresh at the start of each of your turns. *You have advantage on Constitution checks and Constitution saving throws. *You have resistance to poison, psychic, and necrotic damage. Your black aura lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't made a weapon attack against a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your black aura on your turn as a bonus action. Once you've used black aura a number of times shown for your black knight level in the Auras column of the Black Knight table, you must finish a long rest before you can invoke your aura again. Darkvision The power of negative energy within you allows you to see through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. If you already have darkvision, you add 60 feet to its range. Dark Restoration Starting at 2nd level, you innately draw energy from the darkness within you and use it to restore your health. You have an additional Hit Die you can use to heal yourself during a short rest. You gain another extra Hit Die when you reach level 6, 10, 14, and 18. Fighting Style At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. * Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. * Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. * Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage dice for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. * Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield. Dark Path At 3rd level, you choose a path to follow from among the following options: the Silence Path, the Void Path, and the Witch Path. The path you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. Ability Score Increase When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Clear Mind Beginning at 6th level, you can't be charmed or frightened while your black aura is active. If you are charmed or frightened when you enable your black aura, the effect is suspended for the duration of the black aura. Once you reach 14th level, you become immune to charm and frighten even when not using your black aura. Precipitous Regeneration Starting at 9th level, you can use a bonus action to expend Hit Dice, healing as if you had just completed a short rest. You can expend as many Hit Dice as you wish, and you gain the benefits of your Dark Restoration bonus when you do so. Oppressive Gloom At 13th level, you've learned how to extend the reach of your black aura to grasp at your enemies, distracting and slowing them. While your black aura is invoked, creatures of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of you move as if in difficult terrain. When a target starts its turn within range and is maintaining concentration, it must succeed on a concentration check (save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or lose concentration. Obsidian Armor Starting at 17th level, your black aura grants resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Soul Transfer At 20th level, when you drop to 0 hit points but aren't killed outright, you can immediately draw energy from enemies within 30 feet. Each creature that you chose must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier), taking 5d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. You then heal an amount of hit points equal to all the damage dealt and gain one level of Exhaustion. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest. Soul Transfer has no effect on undead or constructs. 'Dark Paths' Dark knights have three primary branches which represent different types of warriors. Though training can be difficult to come by, these teachings of the black knights still endure, and knights pass these techniques down to those they trust. Each path is a proud tradition with loyal adherents who distinguish themselves from ordinary dark knights because of the unique abilities they possess. Each path is considered to be a specific and important role in a military context, and fulfilling that role is necessary for each individual knight. Silence Path The path of silence emphasizes stealth and infiltration. A silence knight is dispatched to silence a threat to the order that they represent or are hired by. Silence knights specialize in techniques that allow them to utilize their dark energy for offense or to escape from danger. Black knights in general are durable adversaries, but a knight of silence knows when to avoid combat and how to end it quickly. Black Cloud: Starting at 3rd level when you choose this path, you can expend a use of your black aura as an action to delve into a shadowy darkness which envelops your physical form. While this form persists, you gain the following benefits: * You have resistance to all damage except for radiant damage. * Creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls made against you. * You have advantage on Stealth checks. * You can see within 40 feet as if in bright light and an additional 40 feet as if in dim light, even in magical darkness. Your black cloud lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious, or if you attack or cast a spell. You can also end the black cloud as a bonus action. You can't use black cloud and black aura at the same time. Shadow Walk: Starting at 7th level, you can use a bonus action to turn into an inky mist and teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. When you reappear, you are shrouded in darkness until the start of your next turn, imposing disadvantage on attacks made against you. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Enmity: At 10th level, you learn to channel your negative energy into a devastating attack. While your black aura is invoked, any time you make a melee weapon attack, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a black knight, as shown in the table below. The additional damage you deal is necrotic damage. Soul Touch: By 15th level, your aura senses disturbances around you and allows you to see them accurately. You have truesight out to a range of 10 feet. Void Path A dark knight of the void path sets an example on the battlefield by placing themselves front and center, drawing all attention to themselves. The role and purpose of a void knight is to shield allies and protect the weak. Void knights are bastions of defense and durability, and use those abilities to their advantage to ensure the safety of those they look after. Sacrifice: Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this path, you can use a bonus action to target a creature other than yourself within 30 feet. For the duration, that creature has resistance to all damage. Each time it takes damage, you take the same amount of damage. You can maintain Sacrifice on a number of creatures equal to 1/3 your black knight level, rounded down. Sacrifice ends automatically after 1 minute, if the target moves more than 60 feet away, or if you drop to 0 hit points or fall unconscious. You can also end any number of connections as a bonus action. Sacrifice fails if used on a creature who is already using or connected to Sacrifice. Greater Fighting Style: By 7th level, you've learned to improve your fighting style. You gain an additional benefit determined by which fighting style you chose at 2nd level. * Defense: Those protected by your Sacrifice gain a +1 bonus to AC. Targets do not need to be wearing armor to gain this benefit. * Dueling: As a reaction, you can add your proficiency bonus to your AC against one melee attack that would hit you. To do so, you must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon * Great Weapon Fighting: When you miss a creature with an attack you make with a melee weapon that are you wielding with two hands, you can use a bonus action to attack again. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. * Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a creature affected by your Sacrifice, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield. Dark Embrace: At 10th level, you've learned how to tap into the innate darkness inside of yourself, granting you additional protections. You gain resistance to poison damage, and immunity to disease, the poisoned condition, and magical sleep effects. While your black aura is invoked, you have complete immunity to poison damage. Soul Shroud: Starting at 15th level, you can extend some of your dark energy to those protected by your Sacrifice. Creatures protected by your Sacrifice have immunity to the frightened condition and magical sleep effects. They also have advantage on all concentration checks while your black aura is invoked. Witch Path The witch path for a black knight embodies the culmination of the dark arts, creating a warrior who can blend martial prowess with black magic. Witches use spells which grant them new ways to harm their foes, or lend themselves and their allies more protection. Witches learn a comparatively small number of spells compared to most other casters, but they back it up with an application of their physical might, saving their magic for special occasions. Witch Spellcasting: Spellcasting: When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting. Cantrips: You learn two cantrips of your choice from the list below. You learn an additional cantrip at 10th level. Preparing and Casting Spells: The Witch Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your witch spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. You prepare the list of witch spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the witch spell list. When you do so, choose a number of witch spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your witch level, rounded down. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For example, if you are a 7th-level witch, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Charisma of 14 (+2), your list of prepared spells can include five spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell armor of Agathys, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of witch spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list. Spellcasting Ability: Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your witch spells, since your spells are an extension of your dark energy given physical form. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a witch spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spellcasting Focus: You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your witch spells. Witch Aura: Starting at 3rd level when you select this path, you can sustain your black aura by using your witch abilities. In addition to the normal conditions, your black aura doesn't end early if you've cast a witch spell or used Runes of Malediction since your last turn. Runes of Malediction: By 7th level, you can use your action to place a subtle rune on a surface you touch. You can place up to five runes in this way, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart. As long as three or more such runes exist, the runes draw a complete shape and curse any creatures within. Any creature that moves into the cursed area or starts its turn there must make a Wisdom save. On a failure, the creature takes disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, or saves (your choice) until the start of its next turn. You can choose a different effect each time for each creature. On your turn, you can use your bonus action to temporarily enable or disable the runes, or to permanently erase any number of runes. The runes disappear naturally after 1 hour. Silver Tongue: At 10th level, you understand all spoken languages and any creature that can understand language can understand what you say. You also have advantage on any Persuasion checks you make when verbally interacting with other creatures. Projection: Starting at 15th level, you can cast the spell project image once without consuming a spell slot. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Witch Spells Witches have access to the following spells. Cantrips: blade ward, chill touch, friends, frostbite (EE), lightning lure (SCAG), mending, ray of frost, resistance, shocking grasp, spare the dying, thaumaturgy, thunderclap (EE) 1st Level: armor of Agathys, arms of Hadar, cure wounds, disguise self, find familiar, fog cloud, hex, ice knife (EE), inflict wounds, ray of sickness, sleep, thunderwave, unseen servant, witch bolt 2nd Level: alter self, augury, blindness/deafness, darkness, enlarge/reduce, gentle repose, levitate, misty step, ray of enfeeblement, see invisibility, web 3rd Level: bestow curse, clairvoyance, conjure animals, dispel magic, fear, fly, hunger of Hadar, Leomund's tiny hut, lightning bolt, phantom steed, remove curse, sleet storm, speak with dead, vampiric touch, water walk 4th Level: arcane eye, blight, dimension door, divination, Evard's black tentacles, ice storm